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Sorry Gene K,
Wasn't trying to be rude, but it seems you took it that way and for that I apologise. I have to agree with you on the whole the Sword kit is better detailed and contains a number of detailing parts, which the Airfix kit does not have and on the whole, the Sword kit is the better kit option. My point was that you can still buy the Airfix kit for about £9 GBP (Aprox $14 U.S) whereas if you can find a Sword kit they generally cost £20 GBP (Aprox $36 U.S). I know that the Sword kit is better and I appreciate that, but from my point of view if I still need to convert parts of the kit it makes better financial sense to carry out the work on the cheaper, more obtainable kit.
As I said, sorry if i offended you it wasn't my intention and hope that this explenation makes the point I was trying to make, clearer.
Doug S.

Hi all,
With reference to the Sword kit, there are two valid reasons for not buying one, 1: you'll be lucky to find any in the UK and 2: the price, they are running at about £20 GBP that's about $26 USD? a piece if you can find one. and if a third is needed you've just told me that it also has inaccuracies, so why should I spend 2 or 3 times as much on a kit that still has to have work done to it?? (this comment is not about the fact that Airfix is a British company either as I have a number of great sword kits in my stash and enjoy the challenge of the build).
Sorry, error £20 GBP is $36 (Aprox) not $26 as stated above
Doug S.

Jorge, yes my only concern was that some of the F-80's flying with that unit had a red outline to the fuselage serials and a couple had red main wingtips, if the pictures are to be believed, however the photo above does show that there was no red outline to the serial and as far as I can tell no red wing-tips, Paul Boyer's link to the painting also seems to confirm both of these points.
Gene K. Will be building 4 more Airfix F-80C's along with 1 Revell F-80C and 2 Hobby Boss F-80A's (with all the problems this kit has, lol). would like a couple more of the Monogram/Revell kits but they are now rare in England and very expensive, even so these kits, even with raised panel lines, are so much better than the Hobby Boss kit.
I also intend to re-scribe the remaining Airfix kits as this one was build OOB and the panel line detail is not very good in raised form so will bite the bullet and have a go at re-scribing, if the worst comes to the worse I'll end up living my last remaining years in a nice warm, padded cell with an oversized jumper!!!!
I have several decal sheets and it is my intention to finish my remaining kits as FT-650 "Saggin' Dragon", FT-591 "Spirit of Hobo", FT-547 "Evil Eye Fleagle" & FT-423 with the red/blue/yellow stripe scheme.
Anyway will try and post some if not all of my remaining builds for you all to see.
Thanks so very much for all your help and comments.
Doug S.

I find it quite odd that Airfix would include a scheme this hard to find as there were loads of colourful F-80C's in korea so assumed that as they had included it, it would be a known aircraft? I admit that when they re-released the kit some 5 years later they retained the "Saggin Dragon" scheme and replaced the FT-873 scheme with "the Spirit of Hobo" scheme, but even so, very odd choice this one by Airfix.
Doug S.

Hi all,
I'm half way through building the 1974 boxing of the Airfix 1/72 F-80C Shooting Star. The kit offers two colour schemes the Saggin Dragon FT-650 option and an FT-873 option, no name or title given but the instructions claim it served with the USAF 36 FBS, 8 FBW in Korea during 1951, unfortunately I have searched the net extensively and can find no mention of this aircraft! I have tried the USAF registry, my usual port of call for colour schemes Wings Palette, a number of military aircraft photo sites and still no luck. Can anyone help me please with a photo or profile please????
oddly I can find photos of FT-872 and FT-876. If it helps the serial number on the decal sheet is 49-873, I have searched this registration number as well and still found no information, is it possible that this is a miss-ident?
Since posting I have found a photo of 49-873 wearing Alaska ANG 144 PBS scheme dated 1954, whcih is no help as it's not the scheme I am looking for i have also discovered that it was built as an F-80C-10-LO if that helps?
Doug S.

Hi all,
I'm half way through building the 1974 boxing of the Airfix 1/72 F-80C Shooting Star. The kit offers two colour schemes the Saggin Dragon FT-650 option and an FT-873 option, no name or title given but the instructions claim it served with the USAF 36 FBS, 8 FBW in Korea during 1951, unfortunately I have searched the net extensively and can find no mention of this aircraft! I have tried the USAF registry, my usual port of call for colour schemes Wings Palette, a number of military aircraft photo sites and still no luck. Can anyone help me please with a photo or profile please????
oddly I can find photos of FT-872 and FT-876. If it helps the serial number on the decal sheet is 49-873, I have searched this registration number as well and still found no information, is it possible that this is a miss-ident?
Doug S.

Hi All,
I am wanting to detail the Airfix Boulton Paul Defiant NF Mk 1, I am aware this is not the greatest kit in the world, but would like to have a go at it anyway. Do any of you have any hints and tips about what I should be looking at and fixing? I have had a search on the Internat and found very little in the way of detail sets, either Resin or PE for this kit so assume a lot of the work needs to be scratch-built. I do however have several books on the defiant, mainly the Mushroom models book, Warpaint and profile publications covering the Defiant.
I would be grateful for any help.
Doug.
(If we could avoid the obvious such as "Don't do it", "Throw it in the bin" and "Life's to short to tackle such a project", I would be even more grateful)! Lol.

"I like the Tamiya acrylics so I picked one of their colors that was closest to what I wanted and added a bit of white and called it good."
Well they look very good, thought they were enamel colours!
Doug

Hi All,
I have to agree with you regarding this kit and it's suitability for beginners, I think that it does fill a gap in the market as was commented, not only that it's a really fun build and I think that as modellers progress they seem to sometimes forget the fun element of our hobby, that spark that got us into modelling in the first place. I have to say that I would definately have a go at another Pegasus kit, in fact I already have their Me262 so when I need a bit of fun, guess what kit's going on my work bench?
I have not built a 21st Century kit, but would love to if only I could get readily get hold of them over here. I understand that in the States you can get them at Walmart, who own ASDA here in the U.K but do not stock any of the toy lines you stock. Which is a real shame as I have already said I would just love to have a go at one.
I have to agree with everything you have said and can I just say I am glad you responded as I didn't think anyone was going to even bother, I posted this article over a week ago here in the UK and had no response at all, it's taken you three days and I was getting worried!
Thanks guy's you have really restored my faith in the modelling community, may all your builds be good ones.
Doug